Sunrise Acts To Ban Nude Dancers

February 12, 1991|By ALAN CHERRY, Staff Writer

SUNRISE -- The first step to stop nude performances in local lounges was taken by city commissioners on Tuesday night, but it appears they do not need to worry about naked dancing women coming to town anytime soon.

``I just wanted to quietly open my male show and pack it with women who want equal opportunity,`` Peter said about the concern his presence has brought to Sunrise.

Wearing the barest covering in the front and rear will probably keep the nightly all-male revues planned by Peter within the proposed city law.

``I think it is a terrible idea that is a detriment to everything this city can stand for,`` Pastor Fidel Gomez of Calvary Chapel of Sunrise said at the commission meeting. ``This is one of the worst things that could have happened.``

Peter is co-owner of Solid Gold, a national chain of bars -- including one in Fort Lauderdale -- that feature women dancers. He also owns bars in other areas of Broward County that feature nude and almost-nude female performers -- including Pure Platinum in Oakland Park and Thee Doll House III near Pompano Beach. He has been fighting a Fort Lauderdale law that in 1989 forced dancers in that city to partially cover up.

He said he purchased JW`s Lounge on University Drive in Sunrise last month with intentions of converting the establishment, which is set to reopen this week, into a nightclub that will feature entertainment for men and women.

Half of the establishment will be known as LaBare, with male dancers performing for female customers only. The other half of the establishment will be a sports bar that, as of Tuesday, included no plans for nudity.

``It was not our intention to put a strip club or (completely nude) male dancing operation in there,`` said Peter, who did not attend the Sunrise meeting.

Sunrise is copying the Fort Lauderdale law in hopes of forcing Peter`s performers to partially cover up. The law, which is scheduled for final approval on Feb. 26, prevents any drinking establishment from offering topless or bottomless entertainment.

``If he wants to sell booze, he won`t have nudity,`` Sunrise Commissioner Steven Effman said. ``If he wants to have nudity, he can`t sell booze.``

Effman said the law proposed in his city is designed to uphold the family image of the community and to protect residents from strip bars.

``If he wants to have men run and dance around in a bathing suit, fine, but who will want to see that?`` Effman asked.